


It's my party, I'll cry if I want to

by talesfromthesnogbox



Series: Stranger Prompts [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: El's first birthday, F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 04:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13674543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesfromthesnogbox/pseuds/talesfromthesnogbox
Summary: Mike wants to throw El the best birthday ever for her first real birthday party, but nothing ever goes as planned. Work is also posted on tumblr, thanks to anonymous for sending me the prompt!





	It's my party, I'll cry if I want to

**Author's Note:**

> This came from a tumblr prompt sent in anonymously. Totally didn't end up going the way I thought it would, or they probably thought it would, but it happens, right?

The Fourth of July was a big deal apparently, and El had been allowed to go to the Wheeler’s barbecue for the night.

 

“Hopper said my birthday is coming up.” El said, her eyes glued to the stars in the sky.

 

Mike’s eyes lit up. He loved watching her discover little things about her life. “Really? When is it?”

 

“July 14th, 1971. But… why is a birthday important?”

 

“Well…” Mike started, “it’s a day to celebrate you and getting older. Remember when I brought that cake for you in February from my birthday?”

 

El nodded happily before her face turned grim. “But I don’t want to get older. Joyce said it comes with… changes.”

 

“Hey, don’t worry about that, everyone is going through changes now.” Mike rolled onto his side in the grass to look at the girl beside him. “We’re starting high school in a bit, the season will change to fall, and I’ll get to see you every single day away from the cabin. Change can be good!”

 

A smile cracked on her face as she looked over at Mike. “Excited.” She uttered simply feeling her face heat up.

 

* * *

 

“Hey guys, we _have_ to make El’s birthday the best, it’s her first one. Over.”

 

_“We could throw her a party at Hopper’s, just all of us. Over.”_ Dustin said over the supercom.

 

_“Guys, will you shut up? It’s one in the morning. Over.”_ Lucas chimed in angrily.

 

_“I’m with Lucas, we’ll discuss this in the morning. Over and out._ ” Will said finally, ending their little chat.

 

Mike stayed up all night planning the best birthday, and the best gift he could think of. The next morning, he called Hopper and finalized the plan. They were throwing El a birthday party.

 

* * *

 

The day of the party finally came and Mike was so excited for her he could barely contain it. That is until he got a call from Will.

 

“The party’s off guys. My mom has been up at the cabin all morning, it looks like El is pretty sick.”

 

Mike’s stomach dropped to his feet. “What?” He sounded his best not to sound disappointed.

 

“Yeah, Hopper called pretty early this morning, must’ve been bad if he called mom about it.”

 

“I still think we should go over there and surprise her.” Mike stated definitively. He’d put a lot of effort into making sure El’s birthday would be the best, his mom even made her a cake with pink frosting, especially for her.

 

“No way, what if she’s contagious?” Dustin was dead set against it.

 

Mike’s shoulders dropped. “It’ll be fine, and if she is, so what, we can be sick with her if that happens. Lucas?”

 

He shook his head. “Sorry man, I’m with Dustin. We can throw her a party next week when she’s feeling better. Besides, she probably won’t have that much fun if she’s sick.”

 

“Will?” Mike pleaded, his last chance to throw El the birthday she deserved.

 

“My mom said she just wanted to be left alone, Mike. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go over there and bother her when she’s sick.”

 

Mike sighed. “Fine, if you guys won’t go, then I’ll go. Alone.”

 

He convinced Nancy to bring him over to the cabin knowing his mother would question him if his friends didn’t go too. Mike’s nerves buzzed loudly in his chest as they drove through the woods to her home.

 

With a full cake balanced in one hand, he used the secret knock and just a moment later, Hopper answered the door.

 

He was surprised to see Mike standing there, looking so eager to see his friend… maybe more than friend… they hadn’t discussed that yet.

 

“Wheeler… what are you doing here?”

 

“It’s El’s birthday.” He held up the cake. “We were supposed to celebrate.”

 

“Yeah… I don’t think that’s a great idea kid. She… she’s…”

 

“Mike!” Mrs. Byers appeared beside Hopper.

 

“Is she okay?” Mike’s voice was full of concern.

 

“Yeah, she’s gonna be fine, poor thing’s just a little upset is all.” Joyce answered.

 

Mike’s face contorted with worry. Had she had another flashback? Nightmare?

 

“She uh… she got her first period this morning— ow!” Hopper touched his chest where Joyce had hit him.

 

“Jim! She’s embarrassed enough about it, think about how she’d feel if she knew her boyfriend knew?”

 

“I—I’m not her boyfriend, we haven’t really talked about it.” His cheeks went red.

 

“Is that Mike?” His heart instantly broke. Mike could hear the tears behind El’s words.

 

“Hi El.” He called out to her through the small cabin.

 

A short heap of blankets emerged from her room, her hair messy, cheeks tearstained, and she was in obvious pain. Hopper took the cake from Mike as she wrapped her arms around the boy, feeling him instantly calming her down. Joyce closed the door behind them as Mike led her back to her room.

 

“How’re you feeling?” He asked awkwardly.

 

“Pain.” She replied quietly. “It hurts everywhere.” El got on the bed and curled back into the position she’d left to find Mike. She patted the spot next to her, signaling for him to join her.

 

Mike looked between her and the door, knowing that Hopper was right outside, and not knowing how he’d react to seeing his daughter in bed with her almost boyfriend. He still climbed onto the bed and let her curl against him, rubbing her back lightly.

 

“Can—can I get you anything?” Hopper overheard Mike talking to El as he got the verbal whiplash from Joyce, reprimanding him on his revealing private information. “Medicine, water, a slice of cake? I know Nancy… sometimes she likes to eat junk food when she’s… got it.” He was a good kid, caring, thoughtful… he could have run away screaming like some of the other boys would have at his age.

 

Hopper tuned back into the present when Mike came from her room to cut the cake he’d brought. Kid was even thoughtful enough to bring candles for her to blow out. It wouldn’t be the same party he’d planned, but he still wanted to make her day special.

 

Mike lit the candle and walked carefully to her room with the plate, singing as he went. El giggled, and Mike was happy to see her smile again when he knew she was in such pain. He kissed her cheek as she blew out her candle and made a wish. “Happy birthday El.”

 

“Thanks. I’m sorry I ruined my birthday.”

 

“No, don’t say that, you didn’t ruin your birthday, it just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to for you. Besides, it’s your party, you can cry if you want to. We’re planning a bigger one next week so everyone can come. They thought you were contagious…”

 

“Did you?”

 

Mike shrugged. “I don’t know. But even if you were, it’s your birthday, the first one you get to celebrate. I didn’t care if I got sick, I just want to make it special for you.”

 

El looked up at the boy like he was the sun. She didn’t know what to do or what to say next, so she did the first thing that came to mind… she kissed him.

 

Mike’s eyes were wide. It wasn’t their first kiss, it wasn’t even their second, but it was the first kiss that she’d initiated. He smiled as she pulled away, his hand cupping her jaw and wiping the remnants of tears from her cheeks.

 

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Mike blurted out unexpectedly.

 

Mike didn’t have even a second to be nervous about her response. Her face lit up with a huge smile and she nodded. “Yes!” For a moment the pain was forgotten, the drama of the day was behind her, and it was just El and Mike. They curled back up and he continued to rub her back until she fell asleep in his arms.


End file.
